Not A Good Look

by Nikki Carter

  Do I sound like a hater right now? Well, it’s whatever. Call me a hater with a capital H then.

  “I can’t tell you about a record deal, but that single y’all heard drops the week of Thanksgiving. It’s called ‘What Ya Gonna Do.’ Y’all really need to cop that ringtone and MP3.”

  Is this chick marketing now? Wow. I’ve never seen Dreya work hard doing anything; she’s pretty much a bump effort kinda girl. It’s even funnier because she’s not going to make any money off the track, although it will definitely help her popularity if it goes to number one on the charts.

  “I heard on the radio that Truth was going on a promotional tour,” Romell says. “Are you going with him?”

  “You know it!” Dreya says. “We’re going to ten cities, doing shows. It’s gonna be fiyah, for real.”

  She’s going on tour now? Talk about being out of the loop. Is this what Sam was talking about when he said Dreya’s life was about to change?

  I’m trying not to feel jealous, but I can’t help it. She’s so mean and spiteful. Why should she be the one to blow up? I could sure use some record-deal money myself, ’cause Spelman ain’t free.

  Speaking of Spelman, I need to get myself to class, because I’ve got a calculus test this morning.

  “I’ve got to go to class,” I say to Bethany. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Okay. You gonna be in the cafeteria at lunchtime?” she asks.

  I nod. “Yeah. Holla.”

  That test was ridiculous. I’m glad I took some time to do my homework, ’cause I wouldn’t have passed it if I hadn’t. But at least it’s over, and the rest of my morning classes were cake.

  I scan the cafeteria for Bethany, but I guess she’s not here yet, because I can’t find her. But guess who I do see? Ms. Dreya—oops, Drama—and her man, Truth, sitting on a table with a small crowd surrounding them. I wonder how Truth got past the security guards. He’s our age, but he definitely doesn’t go to school here or anywhere else.

  I pretend that I don’t see them, because I’m sooo not joining the groupie crowd this afternoon. The whole morning performance gave me an upset stomach.

  Finally Bethany walks up, and she’s practically beaming. About what I have no idea, but the girl is grinning from ear to ear.

  “What are you cheesing about?” I ask.

  “Jordan asked me to go to prom with him.”

  “Seriously? It’s only October twentieth! Prom is months away.”

  “You better hurry and find a date, Sunday. After winter break, everybody good will be taken and you’ll end up with somebody from the geek squad.”

  “I’m not finding a date. A date better find me. I don’t chase boys—you know that, Bethany.”

  She narrows her eyes. “Right, you just steal them from your best friend.”

  “You’re back on that?”

  “I never really got off of it, Sunday. Last year it was Romell, now it’s Sam. But it’s all good, because me and Jordan are together now.”

  “Yay, you.”

  “Is that Truth over there with Dreya? What’s he doing here?”

  “My first guess is that he’s doing promo work for the single.”

  “Let’s go over there.”

  “You can if you want, but I’m cool.”

  Bethany shrugs and walks over to the crowd, confirming her groupie status. No, thank you.

  Truth spots me and waves for me to come over. I hesitate, thinking about his flirting with me at the studio. I’m not trying to get all close to him, because that seems like a hot mess waiting to happen.

  But because he keeps waving me over, now everyone in their groupie circle is staring at me. It looks like I don’t have any choice but to go over there and hang. This is most definitely against my better judgment.

  As I walk up to the table, Truth blurts, “Y’all know Sunday, right? She be dropping them hot lyrics and hooks. She wrote the hook for ‘What Ya Gonna Do.’”

  Dreya looks hotter than buffalo wings with fire sauce. I’m confused and totally shocked that Truth gave me credit like he did, especially since my name probably won’t show up anywhere on the track listing.

  I give the new Dreya fan club a tiny nod and escape to the lunch line. Yeah, I know I completely spazzed, but Truth didn’t leave me much choice. What was I supposed to do? Slide on the table next to Truth and make him a Tolliver sandwich?

  Nah, that would not have gone down without foolishness popping off. Most likely, Dreya would’ve been the cause of it.

  Bethany catches up with me in the lunch line. “What was up with the Truth shout-out?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Umph, umph, umph,” Bethany says, sounding like my grandmother when she’s heard some gossip about one of her church friends.

  “What?”

  “I think you’re trying to scoop somebody else’s man,” Bethany says.

  “Skip to the next track, Bethany. This song is played out.”

  “Look at you, using musical metaphors and stuff. Okay, just don’t say I didn’t tell you.”

  I roll my eyes. “I won’t, Bethany.”

  “And don’t think I’m gonna jump in if you and Dreya get to buggin’, ’cause I don’t get in family fights.”

  “Are you done?” I ask.

  “Yes.”

  “Good.”

  My phone buzzes in my jacket pocket.

  U miss me?

  I laugh out loud. Sam is a trip.

  “Who is that?” Bethany asks.

  “You don’t wanna know,” I reply.

  I send a response to the text.

  Hahahaha. Y? u miss me?

  “It must be Sam, then, if you won’t tell me,” Bethany fusses. “But I just told you I don’t care about him. He’s ugly anyway. Looks like a camel or something with that big old nose.”

  I roll my eyes in Bethany’s direction. “I thought you said you were done.”

  My phone buzzes again.

  I do, but Big D misses u more. Meeting tonight. I’ll scoop u from school. What time u get out?

  3:15. C u then, I respond.

  A meeting? I wonder why Big D is involving me in a meeting. Does that mean I’m on the team? And if so, does that mean team Drama? Ew. I don’t know if I want to be on that team.

  It also didn’t get past me that Sam said he misses me. Awwww. I might have to upgrade him to boyfriend status.

  “Here come Truth and Dreya,” Bethany whispers.

  “Act like you don’t see them,” I whisper back.

  “Too late.”

  Dreya says, “Sunday, you’re riding with us to the studio after school, so be outside right at the end of last period.”

  She sounds irritated that I’m supposed to be riding with them, but Truth beams a gigantic smile in my direction. Dreya can’t see him cheesing because he’s standing behind her, with his hands around her waist and looking over her shoulder. His locs are hanging free, with a few stray curls teasing his hairline.

  “Um, that’s okay,” I reply. “Sam is coming to pick me up.”

  “Well, that doesn’t make any sense, when I’m right here. Text him and tell him you’ll ride with me,” Truth says.

  “He wants to pick me up.”

  “Text him,” Truth insists.

  “Baby, if she wants to ride with him, that’s cool,” Dreya says. Even though she’s trying to be sweet by saying baby. I can hear the irritation in her tone.

  “Sam your boyfriend now?” Truth asks.

  Dreya snatches herself out of his arms and asks, “Why do you care?”

  “I don’t,” he chuckles. “I’m just being nosy. Guys gossip, too, you know.”

  “That’s real thuggish of you,” Bethany comments.

  Dreya steps to Bethany and gets so close to her face that Bethany can probably smell what she ate for lunch. “What you tryin’ to say, Bethany?”

  “Nada,” Bethany says quickly.

  She’s such a punk. There’s no way Dreya would step to me lik
e that out in public without me bringing it.

  “You got one more time to say something about my man,” Dreya says. “You gon’ mess around and get hurt.”

  “You’re tripping,” Bethany says as she grabs her tray and walks away, leaving me standing in line.

  “You betta get your girl,” Dreya says to me.

  “Last time I checked, she was your girl, too,” I reply. “Don’t start acting new, Dreya.”

  “My girls don’t push up on my boyfriend,” Dreya replies.

  “I didn’t see her pushing up on Truth,” I say.

  I stop short of saying that Truth offered to fix Bethany’s plate that day, and that he openly flirts with me. But Dreya’s not in a place where she would even believe me if I did tell her.

  Not surprisingly, Truth looks like he’s enjoying this little beef. Dudes like him always start stuff between girls and never take the blame. Dreya will be somewhere mad at her friend from way back and grinning up in his face.

  “I’m riding with Sam,” I say, following Bethany to the table. “See y’all at the studio.”

  11

  “Epsilon Records wants to sign Drama to a three-record deal,” Big D announces.

  The room is silent for a moment. Sam, Truth, Dreya, and I are all in Big D’s lounge with Shelly doing her usual chill move off in the corner. Big D grins at all of us, like he’s waiting for someone to say something.

  Truth jumps up and hugs Dreya. “That’s what’s up!”

  “I thought they were gonna wait for Truth’s single to drop first,” Sam says.

  “They were, but after we leaked the track, there were over a hundred thousand downloads on iTunes,” Big D explains.

  “I didn’t know it was on iTunes!” Truth says.

  Big D holds the sides of his extra large stomach and laughs. “Come on, now. You didn’t think I was gonna leak a track and not make it available for purchase, did you?”

  “You’re a genius, man,” Truth says. “Sorry I doubted you.”

  Truth then shocks the dummy out of me by kissing Big D on the cheek. What in the…?

  “It’s a sign of respect,” Sam says to me. “I see you looking twisted.”

  “I’m not looking like anything! I don’t care who Truth kisses. Dreya might, but I don’t.”

  This causes everyone to burst into laughter.

  “Sunday, you’re a real chick, you know that?” Truth asks.

  Big D strokes his dark beard and continues. “I called y’all here because Epsilon wants to send Drama on the promotional tour with Truth. She’ll open up the show for him.”

  “I don’t even have a single out, though,” Dreya says. “I thought I was just going on tour as Truth’s girl.”

  Big D laughs out loud. “The record company doesn’t pay travel for wifeys, baby girl. Especially for artists who haven’t even blown up yet.”

  “What cities are we going to?” Truth asks.

  “Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Charlotte, Birmingham, Orlando, Boston, and then to New York to be a part of a new artist showcase on 106 & Park.”

  “We’re gonna be on BET?” Dreya squeals.

  “Yeah. You’re gonna perform Truth’s single, though. Nothing from your album. He was already booked, so this is Epsilon getting more bang for their buck.”

  This is all good news for Dreya, but I’m wondering why I’m here. “Congrats, y’all,” I say, “but what’s this got to do with me?”

  Big D rubs his hands together. “Well, I went by your house to get Drama’s mother to sign the contract and it was all bad.”

  Sidebar. It’s totally iggin’ me that Big D refuses to call Dreya by her real name. She’s not on stage right now! And all of this is happening too quickly. We only met Big D a few days ago and now he’s got Dreya a record deal. Internal alarms are going off in my head, but I tell them to be quiet because we’re about to blow up!

  “What do you mean, all bad?” Dreya asks. “She didn’t sign?”

  “She doesn’t trust me; thinks I’m a drug dealer,” Big D says.

  “Still trying to figure out how I fit into this picture,” I say.

  “I suspect that you’re the responsible one between you and Drama, so I need you to convince your aunt to sign the contract,” Big D says.

  “Once Aunt Charlie makes up her mind about something, it’s pretty much a wrap.”

  Dreya says, “She’s just paranoid because of what happened to Carlos! I can’t believe she’s gonna try to block my deal. I’ll forge her signature if I have to.”

  “No, sweetheart. Epsilon does not roll like that,” Big D replies. “They’ll ice your career completely if you try to pull some stuff like that and your mama tries to press charges or sue.”

  “I don’t know if this has anything to do with Carlos,” I say. “I think it has more to do with you moving over here without asking permission.”

  Big D frowns. “You said your mother was cool with that.”

  “She is cool. Shut up, Sunday.” Dreya shoots me a look that could kill.

  “And what’s the deal with Carlos? Who is he? What’s that about?” Big D asks.

  My lips are sealed. It’s not my place to tell Big D my mother’s business. Plus, I don’t think he needs to know that.

  Too bad me and Dreya are not on the same page.

  She blurts, “Carlos is Sunday’s mother’s boyfriend. He just got shot by them thugs that own Club Pyramids in Decatur.”

  “I host parties there,” Big D says. “Do y’all know what the beef was? Maybe I can help.”

  Everyone looks at me. I sigh and spill an abbreviated version of the story. “He was trying to buy into the club. His baby mother’s brother is one of the owners. Something popped off—I don’t know why—but he ended up shot. Now he’s missing.”

  I don’t tell Big D about Carlos losing my college tuition. It seems like that might be too much information for him right now. I can’t have him knowing how desperately I need money. Desperation is not a good look at all.

  “Oh, yeah. I heard something about that,” Big D replies. “That’s kinda sticky right there, so I don’t wanna touch it.”

  “Good, because my mother would trip that I’m even telling you this,” I say.

  “How about if you go on tour with us?” Big D says. “Do you think that will change her mind?”

  “I’ve got school,” I respond. “I can’t. I’m about to send in my application to Spelman. I can’t take off.”

  “You’d only miss a couple of days. It starts the weekend before Thanksgiving, and goes through the following weekend.”

  “We’re playing big venues in the middle of the week?” Truth asks.

  Big D laughs. “Y’all are doing malls and teen clubs. You aren’t big-venue status yet. We wouldn’t sell any tickets.”

  “You said we sold a hundred thousand downloads of my single. That’s not big-time?” Truth asks.

  “Soon, but not yet. That’s one single. People won’t buy a concert ticket for one single.”

  I ask, “What am I going to tell my mother and aunt that I’ll be doing on the tour? I don’t have a record deal.”

  “Epsilon Records will pay for Drama to have an assistant on the road. You’ll get a check, and you get to kick it to all the parties.”

  “I’ll be Dreya’s assistant?” I don’t like the sound of this at all.

  “Yeah, you’ll get Drama’s food and beverages, help her in the dressing room and all that.”

  I’m tripping. “She’s not a star. Why does she need an assistant, Big D?”

  “Apparently Epsilon Records thinks so. They heard the vocals on that CD and are trying to make her the next Keyshia Cole.”

  Sam clears his throat. “They heard Sunday’s vocals mostly.”

  “Mostly nothing!” Dreya fusses. “She did a few ad-libs and runs. That’s nothing.”

  Big D lifts an eyebrow. “Drama’s the one with the look and the swagger to put us on the map. She’s the one who’s gonna blow up Truth�
��s single. Y’all know the kids be on the hooks. They don’t care ’bout no lyrics, or vocals even. Then, once all the girls see Truth on stage in his wifebeater and saggin’ jeans, it’s on and poppin’. Instant celebrity status.”

  Big D sure likes to paint a mental picture. It’s just that I don’t see myself anywhere in that little celebrity fantasy.

  “So you think if I tell my auntie and my mother that I’m going on tour with y’all that they’ll be cool with it?” I ask.

  “I think so.”

  “How much is this check gonna be? Being this chick’s assistant isn’t gonna be easy.”

  Big D laughs again. “How’s seven hundred for the whole tour sound?”

  “Seven hundred? Man, please. That’s a drop in my bucket.”

  “Well, you can’t make more than the headliners, and they’re only getting two thousand apiece for six shows.”

  “I don’t know if that’s worth the trouble.”

  Big D says, “Think about it. The summer after Drama’s album drops, Epsilon is planning to do a real tour. They’re already working on getting sponsors lined up. I’m talking twenty cities, and you get to roll.”

  “How much will I make then?”

  “Thousands. But it all hinges on Drama’s mother signing this record deal.”

  “Is Sam going on tour, too?” I ask, not wanting to do this thing alone.

  “Awww…she wants her boo to come on the road, too,” Truth teases.

  Sam blushes and Big D has a really good gut laugh. “It’s cool, Sunday. Sam is one of my engineers. Your man will be there.”

  I decide it’s in my best interest not to argue here. I’m sure anything I say will only make us even more embarrassed. But I wish Sam would wipe that stupid grin off his face. He’s not my man. Not yet anyway.

  “I don’t want her making thousands off my tour,” Dreya says. “I turn eighteen in April. Why can’t Epsilon Records wait until then?”

  “You gotta strike while the iron is hot in this business. By the time April rolls by, they’ll be on to the next new starlet. This might be your one shot.”